The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-13
THE TOWN OF DUE WEST
THE pIERIAN SPRING OF FAIR ABBEv1LLE.

The Home of Bonner and Grier---TW0
Thousand People Drink at tho
Fountain OF LcarninS-.-Here ana
There md YOndcr Amid the Class
ic Grounds.
Edgcfeld Chronicle.
! For twenty years past-"Irom youth tc
hnary ngr'-we have wished to visit Duo
/ West, the Picr!an Spring OF Fair Ahhevillc
| Mai. Brawley, in his late fine anniversary
Grafton before the graduating class nf Ersdiiic
College, said the greatest compliment iG c1,ti
pay the Abbcville of to-day was to aver t'Gl'
she was fully worthy of her glorious heritage
of the past. This was we'll said.
And nt the end of twenty years of longing
we have seen the sight. And great was Tins
sight-greater even than we had thought
Let us alnble and ramble over the scene IN an
easy, vacation-lika manner. Indeed at this
season of the year it is somewhat palhiul to
read good, hard, dignificd sense. go
The railroad train Stcams up TO Donala s
on the Columbia IL Greenville Rai!road-lh
the Northwestern corner Of AbheViile coun
ty. This train is crowded with people, most
ly young, fair, and well.drcssed, going TO "the
| commencement" Everybody speaks OF 'thc
commencement" 1t Is Tuesday afternoon
the eve of the big day. Donalds Is sad anu
gloomy-loolling place; and from the car WIN.
dows we see three or four long, narrow black
vehicles that look like hearses. These are the
Due West hacks. We shuddcr, and think ol
our latter. end. But there are many Other
vehicles in waiting-private ones-of more
cheerful aspect. The people pour out from
the train and the scene becomes gay. Our
oldest grandchild is with us and she loses her
new slippers bought In Greenwood. We re-
cover the slippers after energetic and perspir-
ing activity, and enter one OF the hcarses
Before us is another hearse laden with the
brass band for the commencement. AS 1ts
horses start Off, nothing moves with them
but the two fore wheels, while the body lallS
TO the ground. the musicians humping and
the brass instruments clanking toSether
This is funny, and everybody KICKS anu
shrieks with laughter. And now we set forth
into the happy land. The country Is perfect
| ly beautiful. and the crops arc as smiling ns
| heaven. by our side in the hearse Sits dis,
tingulshed looking and somewhat affected
foreign gentleman, carrying portmanteau
and books. We harbor the thought OF ad-
dressing him in German, but simultaneously
u fat alumnus addresses him In good English
from behind. He turns out to be Prof Patton
Of thcSouth Carolina College. going 10 revisit
his beloved old home and his alma mater
And furthermore he turns out to be one OF
we have ever met In our travels. we THANK
God for thus happily enlarging our acquaint'
ance. We speed by the exquisite modern
villa of Mr.. James Todd, which is one of the
with admiration over his broad and laughing
plantation. A negro spire In dell to the
left tells US that we arc nearing the modern
Athens. The landscape on all sides OF us Is
|
strange looking home of Prof Hood. Now
on our left, from an upper window, we eaten
glimpse Of the fair faces OF our honored
This is their shady old home. Now we turn
into the grounds of the Female College, tc
drop Prof Patton. A stately lady In black
with silver hair comes out to welcome him
and does 1t with such genuine and graceful
cordialty that we wish we could also stop
there. 1t is Mrs. Prof Kennedy. The main
college building, of brick, Is large NUMBERING
imposing. The portico,, with Its four lofty
white columns. is fine; but the cupola is an
outrage upon architecture. Side by side with
this great brick building, sets a vast wooden
one of violent ugliness, with spire thai
original Associate Reformed church, which
was bought by the Female College and moved
to its grounds, to be converted into dorml.
tories, &c. The grounds are very pretty. In
| front of the main building stands white mar
bic monument, I'm memory OF the sainted
President Bonner. the father and founder OF
the institution. 1t is handsome, but sits too
lnw-6 or feet too low. Opposite the gates OF
grove, stands the beautiful new Associate Re
| formed church, designed by Boston archi.
chitpct. 1t is very large, and Of very novel
and beautiful style.
street, look old and respectable. Prof. Ken
nedy's. a vast white mansion, embowered in
shrubbery and evergreen. Is very beautiful
The McGee mansion Is superb. The cool of
OF the earth Is covered with flying vehicles
filled with elegantly dressed young people,
who have evidently found Tcnnyson's light.
cr iris on the FURNISHED dove" Meanwhile
hundreds OF other people-young men and
muldcuS, old mon and children-are strea m
irg In every direction. The oaks and shade
trees, far and near, battle description for their
grandeur. The posto1fice Is a beehive: and
Watermclons ad0rn the fronts OF NIL shops.
Paraso!S OF all gay tiniS move in the evening
atmosphere like the figures of Kaleidoscope.
Pink-faced, thin.leggcd young men, with
bran new collars. congregate In vast knots
and inspiring. Everybody has dropped out
of the rcarse but OurSclf and our granhchi!d,
who Is seized with ST. Nitus dance at the
sight Of the watermelonS. And now a pale,
slender, hoyish-lo0king man comes TO claim
us as his guests. II Is our newspaper brother,
John Bonner, Of the ASS0cidtc Reformed Pros
Gytcridn, one OF the sons OF the late PRESIDENT
Bonner, who was large, majestic, kingly-
looking man. We had expected TO see our
newspaper brother, large, middlc.aGrd man.
We find linn q married youth, living In a
young blonde wife and one lovely little girl.
In ten minutes We find, beyond all doubt,
that John Bonner is of the salt of the earth.
And when we bid him adieu on the platform
at Donpld's, we are more Of this opinion than
even at first. We enroll him forever in our
heart Of hearts, and hope he will put what
we say about him In his paper. And again,
MS i'm The case of Prof Patton, we thank God
Now, with the CRIME of the cnrs and the
hearse washed off, and our inner man cyult-
ing from all.abounding hospitality, we ac-
company Mrs. Bonner to the evening per-
formance In Lindsay Hall.
Representations S-Vast armtcs-of lnuCh-
ing people are pouring forth from every hos
pitablc home. The very earth rcsoundS with
the step of the festive throngs. Daylight still!
fingers, and We can sec and inspect the cam
puS of noble old Ersklne College. 1t is q vast
grove OF primeval oaks-gians and kings-in
the very heart of the town. Upon It's broad
bosom stand four great buildings, the college
proper, Lindsay Hall, Phlomathcan Hall
and Euphemian Hall. There ~ something
ancient, classic drudicial. about the whole
scene. The college and Lindsay Hall, like
the Female College, arc vnst and lunlbering.
hut suprcmely respectable. PhilOmathcan
Hall has q beautiful classic front.-crcanl-c col.
0rcd Stucco. Euphcman Hall Is SiX.sidcd,
imposing hut not pretty, This vast campus
Is absolutely alive with well-dreSsed human
beings Of polished manners. Adjoining the
campus on the further side, and belonging to
il, Ia an endless pine grove. This great grove
Is absolutely black with vehicles and horses.
The threshold Of Lindsay Hall IL approached
by two lofty flights OF stairs. Another lOtty
flight in the rear leads to the rostrum. You
feel rs II you were climbing up to Scandina-
Wan temple In Morse legends. The hall Is
vast and pitiessly plain. The plastered walls
are white, but unornRmented save by rows or
huge globe lamps 1t has n gallery over the
front doors, md Is said TO scat 1900 people,
while the alsicS hold 500 more. The rostrum
runs across the whole building. and appears
to our astonshed gaze mile high by hall
1Nn